The new EU Common Fisheries Policy legally requires long term management plans and will ban throwing perfectly edible fish back into the sea. It also devolves day to day decisions about fishing practice from Brussels to countries who share fisheries.

Alec Dauncey is arguing that the new policy demonstrated the importance of Britain playing a constructive role in Europe to achieve sensible decisions from countries working together.

He said: "There are no borders in the sea, or if there are, the fish don't know about them. Countries have to work together to manage shared fish stocks. At the same time, this ends the madness of a 'one-size-fits-all' policy from the Baltic to the Mediterranean.

"These changes are hugely important and Britain has been well represented by British ministers and Liberal Democrat MEPs who can claim credit for the role they played in overcoming opposition to bring them about.

"The reform of the Common Fisheries Policy is a work in progress. There will be loopholes that must still be closed. But real progress is being made, and this can already be seen in the recovery of cod and haddock stocks in the seas which provide jobs for the British fishing industry."